A class act.... Review on Omkara

Vishal Bhardwaj's version of Shakespeare ''othello' ,'Omkara' is passionate and powerful.You feel for the characters as you witness thier lives. I was at the edge of my seat the entire time and walked out of the theatre with many thoughts going through my mind. This movie brings about issues one would not normally encounter in an average day. It exercises the mind and is sure to be one of the best movie of the year .

The story of Omkara transcends time because it deals with everpresent emotions such as jealousy love, and family .Omkara or Omi (Ajay Devgan) is a chieftain who heads a gang of outlaws in the remote area of UP.Dolly (Kareena), an educated girl from Meerat is so hopelessly in love with him that she does whatever Omi says .She leaves her family and quits college, all for the love of him.And the pair of them secretly marry. However Omi is warned that that if she[Dolly] can deceive her own family then she may one day do the same to him.

One of Omi's servant, Langda(Saif) fails to get a promotion of rank which he feels he deserves, and to gain revenge he plans a series of lies and incidents designed to convince Omi that his wife is being disloyal to him and having an affair with Kesu[Vivek Oberoi] ,a left hand of Omi.

First things first ,those expecting a feel good entertainer are bound to be disappointed as the movie turns into a rather dark, hard hitting, emotional and highly disturbing drama. I won't give away the twists in the second half but there are plenty of them which keep the viewer thoroughly hooked and engaged to their seat right to the very end.

The films real trump card is no doubt the three dimensional characters, their interplay with one another and the dialogues by Vishal again which is the very backbone of the film. The content is compelling and explosive and an abundance of violence and gore gels perfectly with the theme of the movie and gives the film that extra sheen.

As a director Vishal cements the fact that he is talent to reckon with.His passion for cinema was evident in his last two releases Makdee and Maqbool -yet I did get reasonably bored in parts of those films...and that can be said the same for Omkara but where Vishal succeeds is taking a extremely complex, and relatively dark subject and turning it into a rather engaging drama that touches your deep syche inside.His strengths are no doubt emotionally packed scenes as well as electric drama sequences.There were some great scenes in the movie and some where you couldn't help but have sympathy for the characters. Like when Omi wouldn't believe Dolly when she was telling the truth.

More importantly he has not compromised in the process of rewriting the play. This movie is every bit as complex, engrossing and tragic as Othello was. On the negative side one wishes that he hadn't dragged the movie on so much. The initial portions start out well but then really start faltering and drag. Tighter editing was the need of the hour .Vishal deserves distinction as he gives a soulful soundtrack here and his music is keeping in mind with the mood of the movie.

All of the actors played their parts very well, but Saif stood out as the best among the lot.He shows no remorse, no emotion, but is mean and cruel. He plays this character with elan and his versatility and range as an actor will catch the viewer off guard

Ajay Devgan performance elevates the movie to a huge extent and the manner in which he tackles such a complicated role is truly admirable. Like always, he completely gets into the skin of the character and fleshes out Omi like only he can.

Kareena Kapoor is a treat to watch .The actress delivers a performance that stays in your heart much after the film is over.Konkana is mature, controlled, sincere, and expressive. Bipasha Basu is barely there .Viveki Oberoi and Naseer lend great support and are genuine in their parts.

Well I have seen a lot of films this year-but OMKARA is one of the few that I have left completely satisfied....completed hooked from start to finish and one I know I will re-visit again as the end credits roll.